Prey Animals Have Inducible Defenses

Question

Prey animals have inducible defenses
A) Because they can get rid of the defenses once the predator goes away
B) Because they can instantaneously produce the defense
C) Because there may be a cost to making the defense, so the defense is best unused unless a predator is present
D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Inducible defenses in prey animals are adaptations that are only expressed in the presence of a predator. This strategy is beneficial because producing and maintaining defenses can be costly in terms of resources (like energy or nutrients) that could be used for other vital processes such as growth or reproduction. Therefore, these defenses are "induced" or activated only when the risk of predation justifies the cost.